A Call that Will Resound in History
In a moment that will be etched in the annals of the nation, the Secretary of Public Education, Mario Delgado Carrillo, rose before the federal deputies with a request that would shake the foundations of inequality. It was not a simple request, it was a war cry against privilege, a bold bet on the destiny of millions. With the passion of a visionary and the determination of a titan, he demanded the approval of a colossal increase: more than 50 billion pesos for the educational scholarship budget. This monumental injection of resources had a goal that seemed like a chimera, an impossible dream that was about to become a reality: reaching a list of 20 million souls benefiting from the Rita Cetina Universal Scholarship. The future of an entire generation hung in the balance, and he was not about to let it fall.
Before the Education Commission, in the solemn framework of the gloss of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s First Government Report, her words were not simple declarations; They were oaths carved in stone. This transcendental measure, he argued vehemently, would be the shield that would guarantee that every boy, every girl, every primary education student in the country, would have a scholarship in their hands. It wasn’t just a campaign promise; It was the consolidation of a sacred commitment, a fundamental pillar for the Fourth Transformation that sought to heal the wounds of inequality. The heart of the nation beat strongly in that room, awaiting the sentence that would define its future.
The Empire of Scholarships and the Curricular Revolution
With the solemnity of a general reviewing his victories, the head of the SEP displayed the figures of a scholarship program of epic scope. The Scholarships for Wellbeing program, he proclaimed, had already established itself as the one with the greatest scope in the history of Mexico, extending its protective mantle over more than 13 million students. A legion of hope composed of 8.8 million knowledge warriors in basic education, 4.2 million young people struggling in Higher Secondary Education, and more than 400 thousand brilliant minds forging their destiny in higher education with the Young People Writing the Future Scholarship. “Education is a right, not a privilege,” he declared with a conviction that shook the walls, emphasizing that this scholarship policy was the sword that would cut through the chains of injustice, guaranteeing equity in access and permanence in the classrooms.
But the battle was not fought only on the economic front. A silent and profound revolution had begun to change the face of upper secondary education. With the entry into force of the National Baccalaureate, a mortal blow had been dealt to the odious division between “first- and second-class baccalaureates.” Since last September 1, a Common Curricular Framework united all students under the same banner of knowledge, offering a double certification that was an invaluable treasure: the baccalaureate and a technical career endorsed by higher education institutions. It was the perfect connection, a golden bridge to a future full of opportunities.
And in a movement that freed thousands of families from decades-long anguish, the COMIPEMS entrance exam in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico was abolished. That mechanism that for almost thirty years had conditioned the future of young people was banished. In its place, a new assignment platform brought with it a statistical miracle: of the 273,000 applicants, a staggering 97.4% were placed in one of their first three options. A historic advance that left behind the dark era where only 38% achieved such a feat. It was the dawn of a new era for Mexican youth.
The Great Transformation: Infrastructure, Health and a New Pedagogical Model
While scholarships and new systems paved the way, on the physical level, a revolution of cement and hope took shape. The construction of 20 new high school campuses, the expansion of 33 schools and the conversion of 35 middle schools into high schools were not just projects; They were beacons that illuminated the horizon, generating 37,500 new spaces in a single year. An achievement that contrasted dramatically with the three decades of neoliberal governments, where barely 20 Higher Secondary Education schools had been built. The strong message was clear: inaction was over.
At the same time, the The School is Ours (LEEN) program deployed an army of resources with a budget of 25 billion pesos, a fortune destined to benefit 76 thousand schools, including for the first time 6 thousand at the upper secondary level. Each peso was a brick in the construction of the new homeland. And on the health front, a crusade was being waged in the cafeterias and schoolyards. The Live healthy, live happy strategy had achieved that 86% of schools eliminated the sale of junk food, soft drinks and sugary drinks. With 300,000 orientation manuals distributed and a regional food culture being reborn, the medical brigades undertook a hand-to-hand battle, evaluating 4.6 million students. The trenches of this war revealed moving data: 40% were overweight, 76% had cavities, and 30% required ophthalmological care. Each issue was a call to action, a life that needed to be saved.
At the epicenter of this unprecedented transformation, the New Mexican School (NEM) stood as the philosophical beacon. The timely distribution of 155 million free textbooks, including materials in 20 national indigenous languages, was not simple logistics; It was an act of cultural justice. This pedagogical model, designed to promote critical thinking, cultural identity and linguistic diversity, was the seed of a fairer, more egalitarian and hopeful Mexico. It was the soul of the Fourth Transformation.
In the face of legislators’ concerns about the educational budget, international assessments, school dropouts and infrastructure, Secretary Delgado Carrillo stood firm as a cliff. He clarified that Mexico continues to participate in the PISA test, but with the clear warning that it is an instrument decontextualized from the complex national reality. For this government, assessments must have a higher purpose: improve the life of each student, transcending the cold standardized indicators that will never be able to capture the rich educational diversity of the country.
And as if all this were not enough, he announced the next chapter of this epic: starting in October, a national consultation will visit every school in the country. Teachers will meet to discuss and define the new scheme that will replace the USICAMM, with the aim of building a renewed relationship between teachers and the educational authority. The results, expected between March and April 2026, will be the basis for a renewed legal framework. Meanwhile, the SEP has already demonstrated its commitment to transparency, carrying out 73 thousand movements of teachers based solely on seniority, a public process and without a single complaint, a testament to the trust that is being reborn. The future of education in Mexico is not waiting; It is being forged, with passion, with justice and with the determination to change the world, one student at a time.
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